Affordable Warmth Strategy Action Plan

Transcription

1 Affordable Warmth Strategy Action Plan

2 Contents Introduction 3 Fuel poverty - the Low Income High Cost definition 4 Fuel poverty in Salford 5 Targeting maps 6 Achievements since 1 April Salford s Partnership to deliver Affordable Warmth 11 Salford s Affordable Warmth Strategy Action Plan 2013 to

3 Introduction Since the publication of our last Affordable Warmth Strategy Action Plan in 2010, there have been a few changes. These changes include the introduction of a new definition of fuel poverty by the Government. To accompany the new definition the Government will set itself a new target for eradicating fuel poverty in Also the energy companies have introduced two new energy grant schemes known as the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) grant scheme and the Green Deal loan scheme. These schemes have replaced the old Warm Front grant scheme and Carbon Emissions Reduction Target schemes. Locally there has been the launch of the Greater Manchester Energy Advice Service (GMEAS) who manage the Get Me Toasty scheme on behalf of the ten Greater Manchester local authorities. Regrettably, the Affordable Warmth Access Referral Mechanism (AWARM), which received almost 300 referrals from Salford s front-line staff, and over 1,000 from staff across Greater Manchester had to close. The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) has developed a Strategic Approach to fuel poverty across Greater Manchester. Part of this approach will be a Greater Manchester Fuel Poverty Strategy which is currently in development and due to be published during The strategy will make delivery expectations of all Greater Manchester local authorities including Salford. Once details of the Greater Manchester Fuel Poverty Action Plan are known, Salford s Action Plan will adapt to work in partnership with AGMA to achieve their Greater Manchester-wide aims and objectives. These significant national and local changes provided a new context for fuel poverty and how to access the practical financial and support measures that will help to reduce fuel poverty. In June 2005 Partners IN Salford launched its Affordable Warmth Strategy along with its associated Action Plan to tackle fuel poverty, supported by an Affordable Warmth Steering Group. Tackling fuel poverty by improving access to the finance to pay for fuel and to more energy efficient forms of heating the home has been key to Salford s agenda of reducing poverty, tackling social exclusion, improving health and taking care of older members of our society as well as contributing to carbon reduction. Over the past eight years many of the tasks we set ourselves have been achieved. As new opportunities arose and partners were identified, the action plan has evolved to take advantage of them proving that the strategy is a practical and working document. Salford s Affordable Warmth Strategy Steering Group have therefore reviewed their Action Plan s aims and outputs to identify new types of assistance they can deliver to help vulnerable households living in fuel poverty to achieve Affordable Warmth. The new headline aim of Salford s Affordable Warmth Strategy Steering Group is; To ensure that fuel poor households, as defined by the Low Income High Cost indicator attain an acceptable standard of Affordable Warmth in their homes. The target number of fuel poor households to be helped using the new Low Income High Cost definition of fuel poverty is: 11,277 by April

4 Fuel poverty - the new Low Income High Cost definition Central Government plans to amended its own target for fuel poverty that by 22 November 2016, as far as is reasonably practicable, no person in England should have to live in fuel poverty. The new target will be based on a new Government indicator to measure fuel poverty based on the recommendations from Professor John Hill s independent review. This new indicator, which is depicted in Figure 1, finds a household to be fuel poor if: Their income is below the poverty line (taking into account energy costs); and Their energy costs are higher than is typical for their household type. It also uses a fuel poverty gap. This is the difference between a household s modelled bill and what their bill would need to be for them to be no longer fuel poor. In the example below (Figure 1) the fuel poverty gap is the shaded area. The purpose of the fuel poverty gap is to measure the severity of the problem faced by fuel poor households. Under this new approach we therefore have twin indicators to the extent and depth of the fuel poverty. New fuel poverty definition A household will now be defined as fuel poor if its: Total income is below the poverty line (taking into account energy costs); and Energy costs are higher than typical. Income threshold (set at poverty line + bills) Increasing energy costs Fuel poverty Fuel poverty gaps Cost threshold (set at median) Increasing income Figure 1: The Low Income High Costs definition 4

5 Fuel poverty in Salford The new methodology has changed the identified levels of fuel poverty and therefore the target and focus for activity in Salford. Using the Low Income High Cost definition of fuel poverty, the Department of Energy & Climate Change found that level of fuel poverty in Salford in 2011 was 11.1%. This equates to 11,277 households. The target number of fuel poor households to be helped using the old definition of fuel poverty was 16,542 by April Government believe that the old definition of fuel poverty could capture some rich households while overlooking others that are struggling with their energy costs and obviously see the change as providing a more accurate analysis of fuel poverty levels in each authority. Over leaf are maps showing where the highest levels of fuel poverty are in Salford using the new Low Income High Cost definition of fuel poverty. Also there is a map of super output areas in the city which suffer from high levels of deprivation. These areas have been targeted in the past for assistance through the energy company grants schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation initiative. 5

6 Targeting maps Map 1: Percentage of fuel poverty household in Salford 2011 using LIHC method. 6

7 Map 2: Number of households living in fuel poverty in Salford 2011 using LIHC method. 7

8 Map 3: Areas of multiple deprivation in Salford within the worst 25%. 8

9 Map 4: Areas of multiple deprivation in Salford within the worst 15%. 9

10 Achievements since 1 April 2009 Due to our combined efforts the Affordable Warmth Strategy s achievements to date have been substantial. During the lifetime of the strategy (2009/10 to 2012/13) we have worked in partnership to install 9,434 basic insulation measures and boilers. These measures were delivered through council backed energy schemes such as Get Me Toasty and the Warm Front grant scheme. The total value of all these works is over 6.2 million. Reductions in Fuel Poverty - This activity has played an important part in reducing the impact of fuel poverty on vulnerable households. Using data collected by DECC for 2011, Salford now has the lowest levels of fuel poverty in Greater Manchester. Improvements in health Cold homes can have a physiological effect on occupants, which may lead to them suffering from thrombosis, increased blood pressure and low resistance to respiratory infections in vulnerable people. Cold homes are also a factor in the numbers of early winter deaths recorded by the NHS. Salford s work to make homes warmer has had a favourable impact on occupant s health. Data recorded by the NHS for the city shows that there is now a reduced likelihood of residents suffering from respiratory and circulation diseases as a consequence of a cold home. In addition the number of early winter deaths in Salford has been falling as shown in the chart below. The dotted lines show that on average, the excess winter deaths (EWD) Index for Salford has been falling faster than England. In terms of numbers of excess winter deaths, the high numbers in 2008/9 was experienced across the country. Since then, the trend in Salford has been on a decline except for the last year (2011/12) when it seems that the trend has gone in the opposite direction compared with England. 10

11 Our other achievements since 2009 include: The level of fuel poverty in the Broughton ward, has now improved from having the highest levels of fuel poverty in the city to such an extent that by 2011 it had fallen to 10th place out of Salford s 20 wards. Over 980 Salford Residents were referred to the now closed Affordable Warmth Access Referral Mechanism (AWARM) by frontline staff working in the NHS, third sector and council. Carried out research into the level of fuel poverty in Salford as part of the council s Private Sector House Condition Surveys Salford s Affordable Warmth Strategy won a National Home Improvement Council Award in their Innovative Insulation category in Main activity since 2009: Worked with Age UK, Helping Hands and Community, Health and Social Care to win two Warm Homes Healthy People grants from the Department of Health, total value of 260,000. Match funding of 100,000 was received from Salford PCT over two years. Supported registered social housing partners to access CESP grants to install an estimated 4 million of Insulation and heating measures. Installed over 190 insulation measures into energy inefficient dwellings in the private rented sector. Joined with neighbouring authorities to support the Greater Manchester Energy Advice Service to develop and deliver measures through their Get Me Toasty scheme. Also to procure contractors to deliver Green Deal measures. 5,285 Salford households signed up to the GM Fair Energy switching scheme. Launched the Green Handyperson scheme with partners Helping Hands & Groundwork. Worked in an advisory capacity with the Creating a New Pendleton team (CANP) to ensure the bid requirements had a robust energy efficiency element. Following the appointment of Pendleton Together in 2012 as the preferred contractor, the project became operational in September The CANP team are currently working with Pendleton Together who will refurbish 1,250 existing dwellings; which will include cladding hi-rise blocks and the building of 1,600 new and affordable homes by The Affordable Warmth team still remained involved with the ongoing monitoring of the project. 11

12 Salford s Partnership to deliver Affordable Warmth This updated action plan gives us the opportunity to use the both the old and new Government definition of fuel poverty to re-assess the scale and nature of fuel poverty in Salford and refocus our aims and outputs. The Government plans to set itself a new target for reducing the level of fuel poverty in England during Salford s Affordable Warmth Strategy Steering Group members have a vital role to play locally to assist the Government reach its new target. The changes to the financial assistance available from the energy companies through their ECO and the Green Deal schemes, has extended the type of energy efficiency measures available. These measures range from basic insulation to gas central heating and external solid wall insulation. Les Laws Principal Officer Affordable Warmth team David Hayes Chief Executive Age UK (Salford) Steve Pond Assistant Manager Care on Call Care On Call Michael O Doherty Assistant Director Buildings & Energy Greater Manchester Energy Advice Service Kim Pierce Principal Officer Home Improvement team Julie Boulton Team Manager Community, Health and Social Care (Adult Commissioning) Joan Fielder Chief Executive Officer Helping Hands Carmen Martinez Public Health Manager Michael Hemingway Principal Officer Climate Change Richard Bundy Principal Officer Welfare Rights team The activity of this updated action plan, will also help us play our part in assisting the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) deliver the ambitions of the GM Low Carbon Hub and the GM Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan, to significantly reduce carbon emissions from the domestic sector. To meet these aims AGMA has put in place the Greater Manchester Energy Advice Service to raise awareness of the help available through marketing campaigns, such as Get Me Toasty. This scheme delivers home insulation and heating measures. 12

13 The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) are developing a strategic approach to fuel poverty in Greater Manchester. Part of this programme is a Greater Manchester Fuel Poverty Strategy which is currently being developed and will be published during The planned Greater Manchester strategy will have expectations of all Greater Manchester local authorities to deliver help to vulnerable households. Once the aims and objectives of the Greater Manchester Fuel Poverty Strategy are known, Salford s Action Plan will adapt to support AGMA s Fuel Poverty Action Plan. It is the responsibility of the Affordable Warmth Strategy - steering group members to continue to take the lead in Salford to deliver advice, information and measures to vulnerable households. Members will continue to work in partnership and use expertise in their chosen fields to deliver the aims and outputs listed below. Their combined activity will move vulnerable households out of and prevent other vulnerable households from falling into fuel poverty and achieve Affordable Warmth. 13

14 Affordable Warmth Strategy Action Plan 2013 to 2016 The following customer focused outcomes have been agreed by Salford s Affordable Warmth Strategy Steering Group to contribute to the eradication of fuel poverty from 11,277 households. Targets have been agreed for which will achieve 10,675 actions or measures intended to help households out of or falling into fuel poverty per year. Outcome 1 Outcome one: 18,771 households receive awareness raising information and be helped to have safer and warmer homes by 2016 Care-on-Call will amend their website to include a link to the council s Affordable Warmth web-pages. Care-on-Call wardens will raise awareness amongst their clients of Affordable Warmth schemes by visit or letters. Care-on-Call to raise awareness of Affordable Warmth in their annual newsletter. Helping Hands webpage to flag clients to Affordable Warmth Assistance using their webpage and s. Helping Hands to raise awareness of others Affordable Warmth help available using their website. HIA s webpage to flag clients to Affordable Warmth assistance using their webpage and s. HIA will raise awareness assistance to repair or replace heating through grants and loans, such as ECO grants, Affordable Warmth Boiler Grants and equity grants. HIA to carry out a promotional activity in areas of multiple deprivation where they are underrepresented and raise awareness of Affordable Warmth help. HIA will promote Affordable Warmth in the day-to-day working of the service by including leaflets in their advice packs. Affordable Warmth team raise awareness of schemes by using local press, newsletters and radio. Affordable Warmth to be promoted using SCC s world-wide-web and social networking accounts e.g. Facebook and Twitter. GMEAS Service to give advice and assistance to switch to a better tariff to Salford households 2013/14 (This scheme will be reviewed in 2014/15). GMEAS managed schemes such as Get Me Toasty to target fuel poor households in areas of fuel poverty and deprivation to raise awareness of the help available. (See Maps 1, 2 & 3) by canvassing or direct mailing households newsletter households contacted appearances 100 2,500 3,000 households contacted. Affordable Warmth team to host an event or join with others to promote ECO and Green Deal help to hard-to-reach community groups. Total annual target 6,

15 Outcome 2 Outcome two: Affordable Warmth Strategy - steering group partners to refer 750 households to partners for information and advice. Age UK will refer clients on for Affordable Warmth assistance e.g. ECO, Green Deal or other schemes. Age UK will advise clients on how best to tackle their debts to utility companies or refer them on to other advice providers HIA to refer to Green Handyperson scheme. 20 HIA refer to clients for the Get Me Toasty scheme to Greater Manchester Energy Advice Service. 20 HIA will refer clients for Salford CC s Affordable Warmth Boiler scheme 20 Helping Hands - Green Handyperson to refer clients on for ECO grants or other assistance for installing measures. 20 Total annual target 250 Outcome 3 Outcome three: Affordable Warmth Strategy steering group partners to refer 6,894 households to partners for advice and measures to reduce heating bills and carbon emissions. GMEAS Green Deal and ECO managed schemes to support Salford households to reduce both their household energy bills and carbon emissions. [495 households to receive a Green Deal Action Plan]. 495 Affordable Warmth team to work with others to deliver free standing portable heaters. 100 Affordable Warmth team to work with partners to deliver Affordable Warmth Boiler Grants 103 Helping Hands - Green Handyperson to visit 1,000 households per annum. 1,000 Helping Hands to draught-proof dwellings. 100 Green Handyperson to carry out home assessments. 500 Total annual target 2,298 15

16 Outcome 4 Outcome four: Contact households through partnerships with frontline health workers by 2016 Raise awareness of Affordable Warmth help such as ECO via newsletters. Raise awareness of Affordable Warmth help such as ECO via GP s IT systems. Distribute printed materials via the GP and other waiting rooms. Distribute information via inoculation campaigns. (Work with inoculation team for 2014 then annually). Work with Salford Royal Discharge teams and other partners to assist patients to return to warm and healthy homes. Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Outcome 5 Outcome five: 1,530 families with young children to receive information of the affordable warmth help available by 2016 Annually support partners to raise awareness of energy company supported scheme in super-output areas with high levels of multiple deprivation. Distribute AW information to parents via local schools websites and newsletters Distribute AW printed materials via Sure Start centres 500 families 10 schools ongoing Total annual target 510 Outcome 6 Outcome six: 1,020 vulnerable households will have their income maximised by 2016 Welfare Rights will give advice to households with fuel debt 200 Welfare Rights will appoint a Financial Resilience Officer to support households with fuel and debts. Welfare Rights will refer clients on a qualifying benefit, credit or allowance to the GM Energy Company Obligation scheme for solid wall insulation. Welfare Rights will refer clients to the Green Handyperson scheme for draught proofing and boiler repairs Helping Hands - Green Handyperson to refer on to Welfare Rights/Debt Advice 20 Total annual target

17 Outcome 7 Outcome seven: 300 of black and minority ethnic and faith households to have safe warmer homes vulnerable households will have their income maximised by 2016 Affordable Warmth team to develop initiatives, with partners, to make help more accessible and suitable for their needs. For example a home insulation scheme marketed at Jewish Households with GMEAS and other local authorities. Welfare Rights Link worker will work with Arabic speaking households with a fuel debt. Affordable Warmth team raise awareness of schemes amongst BME and Faith groups by organising events and/or using local press and electronic media Total annual target 100 Outcome 8 Outcome eight: 2,400 people supported by Community Health and Social Care directorate will be supported to have safer warmer homes. Affordable Warmth leaflets to be distributed by the Discharge team at Salford Royal. 400 Adult Contact team to distribute Affordable Warmth information. 200 Integrated teams to distribute Affordable Warmth information. 200 Total annual target 800 Outcome 9 Outcome nine: 309 private landlords and tenants to receive awareness raising information to make homes made safer and warmer. Raise awareness of schemes in the private rented sector using private landlord events and newsletters. Affordable Warmth team to attend SCC s Annual Private Landlords Forum to promote help available. GMEAS and partners to canvas areas of high levels of private renting to promote energy efficiency measures. Total annual target articles 1 forum 100 households 17

18 Outcome 10 Outcome ten: 36 Affordable Warmth Strategy Steering Group collective outputs. To develop an annual Affordable Warmth Media Plan which includes: Top promote affordable warmth during significant weeks in press, internet and intranet e.g. during Older Person s Week and NEA s Fuel Poverty Day. To hold/attend one Affordable Warmth public event annually to promote the schemes available. Place adverts in local press, radio and use electronic media such as newsletters, websites and social networks. Steering group members to report annually on their progress in delivering this Affordable Warmth Strategy Action Plan. Members to work with Affordable Warmth team to help develop new partnerships and support existing partnerships which are delivering Affordable Warmth. 2 promotions 1 event 6 insertions All All Publish a regular Affordable Warmth newsletter. Total annual target 12 3 issues per year minor repair service Helping Hands 18

19 Sustainable Regeneration Urban Renewal - Affordable Warmth team Salford Civic Centre Chorley Road Swinton Salford M27 5FJ Phone Web This document can be provided in large print, audio, electronic and Braille formats. Please telephone Designed by Creative Services ref: